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The Chicago State Cougars did the unthinkable against the Northwestern Wildcats, decimating them by a 75-73 margin on the scoreboard. The independent Divison 1 team outdid their previous performances as they gave fans one of the most major upsets of the NCAA 2023-24 season. At the center of their swoon-worthy performance was a guard who refused to bow down to the opponents, proving his resilience in the process.

Wesley Cardet Jr.’s performances have been top notch this season and he has more often than not brought his team to the brink of what would-have been unforgettable wins.

How has Wesley Cardet Jr. performed?

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The Chicago State Cougars guard Wesley Cardet Jr. stunned all as he dropped a season-high of 30 points in a nail-biting clash with the Northwestern Wildcats. The match gained a lot of spotlight since the Wildcats were positioned at the 25th spot in the AP Poll of NCAA men’s basketball rankings whereas the Cougars are an independent Division 1 team.

Before this game, the Chicago State had an abysmal 3-9 tally winning just three games. The contest thus is regarded as one of the major upsets this season. While Wesley Cardet Jr. smashed 30 points, their other guard Jahsean Corbett smoked a respectable 17 points with 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

In terms of defense, the Cougars’ best performer was their forward Noble Crawford who grabbed 8 rebounds in the process. The match was particularly close since the Wildcats had edged past the Cougars during the first half by a margin of 38-37 whereas during the second half, the Gerald Gillion-coached team outfoxed the Wildcats by a 38-35 tally, cruising to a victory in the process.

Wesley Cardet Jr. tops his team’s stats in terms of points scored with an astounding 18.2 points per game. He also occupies the numero uno position in the assists average with 2.5 assists per contest.

Read More: With Kansas Stumbling Out, Can Purdue Maintain Number 1 NCAA Status?

Cardet besotted an astounding 13-for-21 field goals in the marquee clash with a 3-for-9 three-pointer and 50% free throw percentage. Additionally, he also nabbed four rebounds and an equal number of assists in the process. 

Cardet‘s Field Day

His previous best performance in this season had come against the UT Martin Skyhawks when he thrashed 26 points in a humiliating 71-94 loss. He had a 9-for-14 field goal tally with a 5-for-8 free throw stat.

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USA Today via Reuters

Going by his numbers, it is quite evident that he gets a lot of opportunities to shoot field goals and capitalizes on them on most occasions. This was one of the main factors that led the Cougars to sweep the Wildcats off their feet. 

Other than that Cardet also scored 24 points against the Northern Colorado Bears but his team was stumped by a narrow margin of 77-78 during Overtime. In that game too, the junior guard got ample field goal opportunities and ended the game with a 9-for-15 field goal tally.

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Perhaps, if Cardet continues to improve his field goal tally and performs the alpha role his team has entrusted to him, who knows they might give a lot more upsets during this season against top-ranked teams.